Battery terminal connecter



R. E. ROWE BATTERY TERMINAL CONNECTER Filed March 9, 1937 in order to serve customers who may prefer one adapted to receive the end of a cable, and pro- 25 Patented et.25,1938' v 2,134,623

UNITED STATES PATENTLOFFICE 1 a 2,134,623 v V BATTERY TERMINAL CONNECTER I 7 Russell E. Rowe, Hyattsville, Ma.

Application March 9, 1937, Serial No. 129,928

4Claims. (cine-259i. I I

V This invention relates to electrical connecters, Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 2-2 and more particularly toterminal connecters for of Fig. 1 I

storage batteries such as are commonly employed Fig; 3 is a longitudinal or horizontal section onautomobiles. Y through the assembly shown in Fig. 1; What may be called the standard connecter Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing a "5 most generally used comprises a split sleeve or slightly modified construction;

tube adapted to receive the battery cable, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the block forminto which the end of suchcable is soldered or ing the principal partof my improved adapter;

sweated. u Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the bands Owing to the time required to perform this or hoops which -I employ; 10 sweating operation, and to thefact that, in Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a compression carrying it out when" a new terminal connecter plate used in connection with my improved is to be applied, it is necessary to'remove the clamping means;

entire cable from the car, numerous attempts Fig. Tais an inside view of said plate; and have heretofore been made to devise clamping Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the standard It! means which may be employed to attach the form of terminal connecter herein referred to.

terminal to the cable, so as to obviate the neces- Referring to the drawing in detail, and more sity of using solder. These may be designated particularly first to Fig. 8, the so-called standard as clamp type connecters. 1 terminal connecter comprises asplit ring or clamp w Regardless ofthe efficiency or practicability of l, adapted to engage a battery post, the ends 20 these clamp type connecters; their use gives rise of the clamp being drawn together by means to a commercially objectionable situation, in that of a bolt 2 having a nut 3. I

it is necessary for a repair manto carry a com- Carried-by the side of the clamp l opposite plete stock of parts for both types of connecters, the bolt 2 is a cylindrical split sleeve or tube 4,

type or the other. vided with a longitudinal slot or opening 4 The general object of the present invention is having spaced edges d to avoid this difficulty, and to this end I have y improved p r mpr a block 5, b devised improved clamping means which are shown in Fig. 5, Such b ock preferably having u m t th standard solder type of cona concave inner surface 5*. The side edges of 30 necter, without change. Thus it is necessary for the block are extended, as at 6, to provide pora repair man to stock only this one standard tions which engage the inner surface of the sleeve type of connecter, and this may be used either s C y Shown n Fig. 2, and adjacent the in the ordinary way, for thosewho desire a solouter surface of each of the portions 6 is a 1011- dered job, or, by employing my improved addigitudinally extending shoulder I, the'shoulders 35 tional parts, as a clamp type connecter, for those I being Spa d apart a distance Substantially who prefer the clamp type. My improved clamequal to the width of the slot 4 ing means may therefore be regarded as in the overhanging the portions 6 at each side of the nature of an adapter, serving to change the block, and spaced therefrom by the shoulders 1, standard solder type connecter into a clamp type, is a flange 8, and by reference to Fig. 2 it will 40 h d ired, be clear that the portions 6, together with the A further object of the invention is to provide shouders l and flanges 8, form longitudinally an adapter or attachment of the kind above deextending grooves which are adapted to fit over scribed, which shall be simple and cheap in conthe edges 4' of the sleeve adjacent the slot. 45 struction, efficient in operation, and easy to as- A clamping screw II passes through and is semble and apply. threaded in an opening 9 in the block 5, this screw With the above and other objects in View, the being disposed radially of the sleeve 4. The invention consists in the construction and arinner end of the screw engages a clamping plate 5 rangement of parts hereinafter described and I2, preferably of arcuate form, having transverse claimed and illustrated in the accompanying ribs l2 on its inner side, which clamping plate drawing, in which:- bears against the end of the cable B. In the Fig. 1 is a plan view showing my improved drawing, the battery post is designated by the adapter assembled with a standard terminal connumeral A. necter and. cable; The ends of the block 5 are preferably notched 55 or cut away, as indicated at H], in order to provide seats for a pair of bands or hoops l3.

In practice, when it is desired to employ my improved adapter, instead of sweating the cable end into the sleeve 4, I slide the block longitudinally into the slot or opening 4 of the sleeve, with the grooves at the sides thereof engaging the edges 4 of the sleeve. I then place over the ends of the sleeve and block the bands or hoops l3, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, these bands making a snug fit. I then insert the cable end in the sleeve, preferably with the plate l2 in position thereon, and then turn up the screw H so that its end bears firmly against the plate l2, as shown in Fig. 2. The cable end is compressed between the plate l2 and the opposite Wall of the sleeve and tightly and securely clamped therein. It will also be observed that the area of electrical contact is relatively large, the stranded cable being somewhat flattened or deformed, and pressed firmly against the inner surface of the sleeve.

Another feature of the invention is also shown in Figs. 1 and 2. This consists of a set screw M which is threaded into the terminal or clamp I and disposed at an angle to the axis thereof, so that when this screw is turned up, its inner end bites into the post A and thus assists in locking the clamp in position, as Well as in establishing a good electrical contact. This screw may or may not be used in connection with the other features of the invention, and therefore is not illustrated in Figs. 4 and 8.

In Fig. 4, I have illustrated a slightly modified arrangement in which the cable end, instead of being compressed against the inner wall of the sleeve, is compressed against the inner surface of the block 5 itself. In this modification, there is employed a clamping screw l5, having an elongated concave head H5 at its inner end for engaging the cable. The screw passes freely through an opening in the block 5 and the nut I1 is threaded on the outer end thereof. It will be understood that in this modification the screw l5 passes through the stranded cable itself, it being necessary to open or spread the strands apart in order to insert the screw.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a battery terminal comprising a post clamp rigidly carrying the usual split sleeve connecter having a longitudinal slot, of a block fitting between the edges of said slot and having a portion engaging the inner surface of said sleeve adjacent each side of said slot, and a clamping screw passing through said block radially of said sleeve.

2. The combination with a battery terminal comprising a post clamp rigidly carrying the usual split sleeve connecter having a longitudinal slot, of a block having grooves in its sides slidable lengthwise over the edges of said slot, and lying partly within said sleeve, said block filling said slot, and a clamping screw passing through said block and terminating inside of said sleeve.

3. The combination with a battery terminal comprising a post clamp rigid with the usual split sleeve connecter having a longitudinal slot, of a block interlocked with the edges of said slot and having a portion engaging the inner surface of said sleeve adjacent each side of said slot, binding means for preventing said sleeve from expanding, and a clamping screw passing through said block.

4. The combination with a battery terminal comprising a post clamp rigid with the usual cylindrical split sleeve connecter having a longitudinal slot, of a block having a portion filling said 'slot and flush with the outer surface of said sleeve, and having another portion engaging the inner surface of said sleeve adjacent the edges of said slot, a pair of bands encircling said sleeve and the flush portion of said block, and a clamping screw passing through said block at a point between said bands.

RUSSELL E. ROWE. 

